The backpack is packed, the shoes fit, and somewhere in a drawer is a laptop that hasn’t been touched since June. Before it comes back out for homework and group projects, it’s worth an hour of setup now instead of a scramble later when a password’s forgotten or an app update breaks mid-assignment.
None of this requires technical know-how. Treat it like a pre-flight check: work through it once, device by device, and you’ll start the school year with fewer surprises.
Start with updates, not apps
It’s tempting to jump straight to setting up accounts, but updates come first because they patch the security holes that everything else depends on.
Check the operating system. Phones, tablets, and laptops should all be running their latest available update. Old versions of iOS, Android, Windows, or macOS often carry known security flaws that have already been fixed in newer releases.
Update the apps, too. School portals, learning platforms, and messaging apps get patched regularly. An outdated app is one of the easier ways for something to go wrong in the background without you noticing.
Restart after updating. Some updates don’t fully apply until the device restarts. A quick reboot after this step confirms everything actually took effect.
If you’re juggling a phone, a school-issued laptop, and maybe a tablet for a younger sibling, this is a good moment to think about how you’re keeping all of them consistent. A look at multi-device security can help you set a routine that covers every screen in the house, not just the one that’s easiest to remember.
Lock down the logins
New school year, new round of login credentials to keep track of, and this is where things tend to fall apart by October.
Set a real passcode or password, not a birthday or a repeated digit. On phones, use the strongest passcode length or biometric option the device offers rather than the shortest default.
Turn on two-factor authentication for email, school accounts, and anything tied to payment information. It adds a short extra step at login, but it’s one of the most effective ways to stop someone else from getting into an account even if they have the password.
Set up recovery options before you need them. A phone lost on day two of school, or a forgotten password during exam week, is a lot less stressful if recovery codes are already saved somewhere safe. It’s worth reading through recovery codes and backup authentication so the whole family understands what to do when a second factor isn’t available.
Write down (or store) the important passwords somewhere other than a sticky note on the laptop itself. A password manager works well for older kids and teens who are old enough to manage their own logins.
Set up parental controls without overdoing it
Parental controls exist to support good habits, not replace conversations about them. The goal is a setup that matches your child’s age and how much independence they’re ready for, not a lockdown that gets fought over daily.
Use built-in screen time and content tools. Both major phone and tablet platforms have native controls for app limits, content filtering, and downtime hours. These are usually enough for most families and don’t require a third-party app.
Set app download permissions. Younger kids generally shouldn’t be able to install new apps without approval. This one setting prevents a surprising amount of trouble later.
Talk through the settings, don’t just apply them. A kid who understands why a limit exists is more likely to respect it than one who just sees a locked screen.
If your family also uses location-sharing apps for pickup, activities, or peace of mind, it’s worth revisiting how those are configured for the new schedule. Family location sharing apps covers how to balance genuine safety needs with your child’s privacy as they get older.
Check what’s syncing and where
Devices that have been idle over the summer often reconnect to old accounts, old wifi networks, or old shared logins without anyone noticing. A quick review avoids some awkward surprises.
- Confirm the device is signed into the right school and family accounts, not a sibling’s old login.
- Check which cloud storage account photos, files, and documents are backing up to.
- Review which apps have access to the camera, microphone, and location, and remove anything that no longer needs it.
- Make sure old classroom or club apps from last year that are no longer needed get deleted, especially ones tied to a previous teacher’s login system.
This is also a reasonable moment to check default search settings, especially on a shared family laptop. If younger kids will be using the same device for homework, a look at private search engines can help you set a homepage and search default that filters more responsibly than a general adult browser setup.
Prep for video calls and group projects
Group projects and virtual class sessions are a normal part of school now, and the settings that keep a work video call professional are the same ones that keep a school one appropriate.
Check camera and microphone permissions for whatever conferencing app the school uses, and confirm they’re only active during actual calls.
Set a plain, appropriate background for the room the calls will happen in, and mute notifications from other apps during class time so nothing pops up mid-call.
Review meeting link etiquette with your kid: links shouldn’t be shared outside the class group, and calls shouldn’t be recorded or screenshotted without permission.
A broader read on securing video calls and conferencing apps is useful even outside of school, since the same habits carry over to family calls with relatives.
Don’t forget the smaller devices
Backpacks these days often carry more than a laptop. Smartwatches track kids at recess, fitness trackers log activity for gym class, and some schools issue their own tablets alongside a personal phone.
Check smartwatch and tracker privacy settings the same way you would a phone. These devices often collect location and health data continuously, and the defaults aren’t always set as privately as you’d expect. It’s worth a look at smartwatch and fitness tracker privacy before the first week of school, especially if the watch is new.
Ask what the school-issued device can and can’t do. Some school laptops have monitoring software built in by the district. It’s fine to ask the school directly what’s installed and what it can see.
Grandparents and shared devices
If grandparents are part of pickup, homework help, or occasional video calls with the family, it’s worth a quick check that their own devices are in reasonable shape too, especially if they’re the ones supervising an older laptop or tablet at their house. Cybersecurity for older adults is a good one to send along if a grandparent’s phone hasn’t been updated in a while.
Building the habit
None of these steps are complicated on their own. What matters is doing them together, once, at a point when there’s still time to fix something before it becomes a first-week problem. A device that’s updated, a login that’s protected, and a setting that matches your kid’s age will do more for a smooth school year than any single app ever could.
Treat this as a seasonal habit rather than a one-time fix. Security isn’t a setting you switch on in August and forget; it’s something you check back in on, the same way you check backpacks and shoe sizes, every time the school year turns over.
A quick safety note
This article is general information, not professional security, legal, or medical advice. No single tool or setting makes anyone completely safe; security works in layers. If you are dealing with a live incident, such as active fraud, ransomware, or a child in danger, contact the appropriate professionals or authorities. For a threat to a child, report it to the NCMEC CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org and to local law enforcement.
